Measuring Temporal Differences in Rural Canadian Children's Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity.

Brenton L G Button,Gina Martin,Andrew F Clark,Jason A Gilliland,Megan Graat

doi:10.3390/ijerph17238734

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure the factors that influence children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school curriculum time, recess time, and outside school time in a rural area. During the Fall and Winter of 2016, 34 boys and 55 girls aged 8–14 years from rural communities in rural Northwestern Ontario participated in the Spatial Temporal Environment and Activity Monitoring project. The children’s MVPA was measured using an accelerometer, and child-level demographic, behavioral, and environmental data were gathered from surveys, passively logging global positioning units, and municipal datasets. Data on daily temperature and precipitation were gathered from the closest Environment Canada weather station. A mixed model was used to assess the relationship between child- and day-level factors and children’s MVPA. On average, children were getting 12.9 min of MVPA during recess, 17.7 min during curriculum time, and 29.0 min of MVPA outside school time. During all three time points, boys were more active than girls. During curriculum time, children in lower grades were more active, and the weather had differing impacts depending on the time of day. The findings of this study illustrate the differences in MVPA and the factors that influence MVPA by time of day. Examining different time segments provides valuable information for understanding children’s MVPA patterns.

Highlights

Over the past decade, research has shown that children in industrialized countries are participating in an inadequate amount of physical activity (PA), especially at moderate-to-vigorous intensities [1,2,3].It is imperative that moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) levels increase, as studies suggest that there is a dose–response relationship between MVPA and health benefits [4]
People who live in rural areas are often shown to be a vulnerable population, with a higher prevalence of health concerns related to low levels of MVPA, such as lower functional health and higher obesity rates [5,6]
During all the time points, boys were more active than girls, and grade was a significant predictor of MVPA during curriculum time, but not during recess or out-of-school time

Summary

Introduction

Research has shown that children in industrialized countries are participating in an inadequate amount of physical activity (PA), especially at moderate-to-vigorous intensities [1,2,3]. It is imperative that moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) levels increase, as studies suggest that there is a dose–response relationship between MVPA and health benefits [4]. People who live in rural areas are often shown to be a vulnerable population, with a higher prevalence of health concerns related to low levels of MVPA, such as lower functional health and higher obesity rates [5,6]. With no clear evidence regarding the extent to which MVPA levels differ between urban and rural environments, it is critical to understand the determinants of MVPA in rural regions to prevent further health inequity [7,8]. Public Health 2020, 17, 8734; doi:10.3390/ijerph17238734 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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